06 December 2024
Thirty (30) faculty members of Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs) engaged in a five (5) day workshop on clinical and laboratory diagnosis of emerging fungal infection in Malaysia for free.
The workshop is funded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), through the Higher Education Upskilling and Study for Advancement of Staff and Faculty (HUSAY) Program, to upskill faculty members and advance study in the field of mycology and infectious diseases in the country.
The participants, medical doctors and doctor of veterinary medicine who are teaching in medical and veterinary schools in the country, were trained by the SEAMEO TROPMED Network in Malaysia.
“Two years ago I instructed CHED to pivot towards ASEAN because we were concentrating on developing international linkages with North America and Europe forgetting that there are very good universities in the ASEAN region and that the problems we face are common particularly on issues in health,” CHED Secretary Popoy De Vera said during the closing ceremony of the workshop in Malaysia.
“I express my heartfelt appreciation to the CHED of the Philippines and the SEAMEO TROPMED Network Central Office for their invaluable support and sponsorship of this workshop. Through our united endeavors, we can ensure that the strategies we discuss today will leave a lasting impact on healthcare systems across our respective countries,” Director of SEAMEO TROPMED Malaysia Dr. Ami Fazlin binti Syed Mohamed said.
The workshop is designed for healthcare professionals, laboratory technicians, and researchers to enhance their skills in diagnosing emerging fungal infections and diseases.
“To better equip the country for health emergencies, we continue to advance and expand the quality of our health sciences education particularly in the field of epidemiology where the country has a shortage of professionals,” De Vera said.
Through the CHED-HUSAY Program, funded by the Continuing Professional Development Studies Grant (CPDSG), a total amount of ₱7,257,306.00 was allocated for the training program which started last December 2, 2024 and ended today, December 6, 2024.
The HUSAY Program was launched in September 2023 to provide full scholarships in short courses for faculty of HEIs in the country to strengthen and upskill their capacity in collaborative research, curriculum development, and instruction.
It is a complement to CHED’s Scholarships for Instructors and Staff Knowledge Advancement Program (SIKAP) which provides a full degree scholarship to complete a postgraduate degree.
The Commission will open new scholarship slots for both SIKAP and HUSAY in 2025.
(SIGNED)
J. PROSPERO E. DE VERA III, DPA
Chairman
Commission on Higher Education